Identity Exposed

"Who exactly are you?" In the captain's quarters, Katarina looked coldly at Liu Feng and asked.

At such close range, Katarina's peerless beauty made Liu Feng feel even more dazzled and bewitched. But the intimidating pressure in those lovely eyes, and their ice-cold distance that seemed to keep everyone a thousand miles away, also made him panic a little.

"Um, reporting to the captain, this humble one is a fisherman from the Saint Mavana Empire!" Though he knew full well that this lie had not been very successful from the start, Liu Feng could only brace himself and keep going.

"A fisherman? Hmph! Can a fisherman possess such strange battle qi? Can a fisherman knock down a level-five thief?" Katarina snorted coldly, clearly not believing Liu Feng's lie at all.

"Um, though this humble one is a fisherman, my family was fairly well-off, and when I was young I did learn some martial skills!" Racking his brains, Liu Feng continued weaving his lie.

"Is that so? Then why have I never seen a fisherman with skin kept so well?" Katarina continued to sneer, while the chill around her grew heavier and heavier.

"Um... fine, fine. Since that's the case, I'll tell you the truth! Actually, I was originally the child of a merchant family, but recently my parents arranged a marriage for me that I wasn't satisfied with. After my resistance failed, I could only secretly run away from home, planning to go to the Western Continent to seek shelter with relatives. But I never expected to run into you all. Because I was afraid, I had no choice but to lie. I hope the captain will forgive me!"

At this point, Liu Feng knew his fisherman lie could no longer continue, so he directly shifted to another identity. After all, on the Falan Continent, merchants did not have low status, and it was perfectly normal for the descendants of merchants to know martial skills.

Sure enough, upon hearing Liu Feng's second lie, Katarina's expression eased slightly. She nodded faintly and said, "But why do I feel that you look a little like that noble young master wanted by the Twelve Palaces?"

The Twelve Palaces put out a warrant for me? Liu Feng's heart immediately tightened, but the smile on his face did not change in the slightest. Instead, he revealed a trace of surprise. "What are the Twelve Palaces? This humble one doesn't quite understand what the captain means!"

Although the Zodiac Twelve Palaces were extremely famous, that was only among people of the upper ranks. Liu Feng had now set his identity as the son of a merchant, so it was very normal for him not to know.

Katarina looked deeply at Liu Feng. Although she did not detect anything abnormal on his face, that strange feeling in her heart still could not be erased. After thinking faintly for a moment, she waved her hand and ordered, "Someone, lock him in the dungeon for now!"

There's a dungeon on this ship too? Liu Feng was immediately stunned. Before he could react, two pirates walked in, hoisted him up, and carried him outside.

Liu Feng's body instantly tensed, but in the end, he let out a helpless bitter smile and temporarily gave up the thought of resisting.

Watching Liu Feng's back disappear, a thoughtful look once again flashed through Katarina's eyes. She said softly, "Anna, immediately go check the true identity of the noble young master with a bounty from the Twelve Palaces!"

"Yes, miss!"

A black figure appeared eerily from behind Katarina, then vanished again in an instant.

Damn it! This is the dungeon? Looking at the cargo hold before him, no different from the one that had held those dozen or so somewhat strange pirates, Liu Feng immediately smiled bitterly.

However, this place was clearly different from that cargo hold. He was the only one here. It seemed they had opened up a private room to take special care of him. Helplessly, Liu Feng walked in under the urging of the two pirates behind him, watching helplessly as the iron-barred door was locked tight.

It was not that he had no chance to escape. It was just that this was not land; even if he fled this pirate ship, his end would only be even more miserable. Besides, judging by the current situation, although he had been locked up, at least his life did not seem to be in danger. Liu Feng could only decide to take things one step at a time. If it truly did not work out in the end, then since the hull was made of wood anyway, he would just stab a hole through it with one spear thrust and everyone could go swimming together.

And what comforted Liu Feng the most was that this cargo hold was much quieter than above. There was no one else here, which suited him perfectly. He immediately sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.

Time began to pass just like that. Because there was no light, time had become somewhat illusory to Liu Feng.

Three days later, Katarina sat in the captain's quarters looking at the intelligence report she had just received, and an incomparably shocked and nervous look appeared in her eyes.

"Name: Nicholas Palister, eldest son of the God-Descendant Count Derek. Delicate features, long light-blue hair..."

There was not much content in the intelligence report, but it very clearly stated the identity of the target with a bounty from the Zodiac Twelve Palaces.

"He's actually... actually someone from the Palister Family, and that little fellow who can't cultivate, no less!" Katarina stared at the intelligence report and murmured, a very complicated expression appearing in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Katarina suddenly clapped her hands together, and the intelligence report instantly turned into scraps of paper. She ordered softly, "Someone!"

A pirate entered in response.

"How are Alonso's injuries?" Katarina thought faintly for a moment, then asked softly.

"They're already nothing serious!" the pirate answered respectfully.

A trace of determination flashed through her eyes as Katarina ordered softly, "Go call Alonso here for me!"

After wolfing down the dinner a pirate had brought, Liu Feng leaned half against the wooden plank wall and kept pondering. By his calculations, three or four days had already passed, so why did there still seem to be no sign of letting him out? Could it be they planned to keep me locked up like this forever?

When the meal had been delivered just now, the hatch had opened, and Liu Feng had seen the sky outside. It had been full of starlight—deep night. The day he had come in, it had still been daytime. Adding in the time spent cultivating, it should have been three or four days by now. But Katarina seemed to have forgotten him. Aside from someone bringing food on time, there had been no indication at all of how she intended to deal with him.

This can't go on forever. I'll wait one more day. If that doesn't work, I can only force my way out! Liu Feng mulled it over for a while and finally made up his mind. After all, if he stayed here forever, when would he ever find Lost Island? Since things had come to this, Liu Feng was absolutely willing to gamble.

"Nicholas!" Just as Liu Feng had made up his mind, a low voice suddenly entered his ears. It seemed to be Cross-eyed.

Liu Feng was immediately stunned and instantly sat up, his eyes turning upward.

With a creak, the hatch opened again, and several rays of starlight spilled in. Then a figure instantly jumped down, took out a small axe, and smashed it viciously at the lock on the door.

After a soft sound, the iron-barred cell door instantly opened. The figure flashed inside again and said somewhat anxiously, "Go!"

Only now did Liu Feng finally see clearly that this fellow who seemed to have come to rescue him was actually that stuttering youth, Alonso...